Ster ZLM Toer: Juan Jose Haedo on top as stage three goes to the sprinters

Juan Jose Haedo (Saxo Bank-SunGard) won the third stage of the Ster ZLM Toer, starting and finishing in the village of Schimmert, as the race finished in a bunch sprint once more. The Argentinean sprinter beat Italian Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard Trek) into second place, with Frenchman Anthony Roux (FDJ) in third at the end of the hilly 202km stage.

”The stage developed perfectly for us and I'm truly proud to be able to round it off by winning the stage on this very tough course,” said Haedo afterwards. “I couldn't have done it without Michael [Mørkøv] and Jonas [Aaen] helping in the finale. They were there for me all the way and delivered me in a perfect position for the sprint and a stage win for the team.

“Tomorrow there's another tiring day as we're entering the course of Liege-Bastogne-Liege where I believe that both Michael and Jonas will be strong enough to do a good result if everything goes their way,”

Cederic Pineau (FDJ), Steven Van Vooren (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) and Michael Vanderaerden (Donckers Koffie-Jelly Belly) escaped on the Bemelerberg, after just 14km, and they were soon joined by Cornelius van Ooijen (Team Jo Piels) and the four of them formed the break of the day.

The leading quartet managed to build a lead of up to ten minutes, with Pineau taking the points over the hills, but the Vacansoleil-DCM team took control of the peloton and pulled them back with around 70km to go.

On the climb of the Cauberg, with 42km to go, a group of fifteen riders escaped, including Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Niki Terpstra (Quick Step) and Bram Tankink (Rabobank). They were brought back by the Garmin-Cervélo team, only for a group of twelve, including Gilbert again, to escape once more as they entered the final 20km and the two finishing circuits.

Team Sky and Garmin-Cervélo kept the pressure on at the front of the peloton and, while shedding several riders off the back, pulled the group back in the final few kilometres.

Saxo Bank-SunGard took over the lead of the peloton into the last kilometre; Gilbert had one last attempt to get away, but he was pulled back once more and Haedo finished the sprint off to perfection.

Stage one winner Patrick Gretsch (HTC-Highroad) finished safely in the peloton and holds on to his race lead, four seconds ahead of stage two winner Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo).